It was a cool, rainy, August morning. I had my umbrella tucked under my arm while I juggled holding everything I needed. I had just come out of the arrivals area at the airport and made my way towards the rental cab stalls. Thoughts polluted my brain, as well as extreme fatigue combined with jetlag. I was finally here, the college of my dreams. Since I was a young child and learned of the world abroad, I made it my mission to be here one day. As excited and happy I was, the homesickness began taking over me and thoughts of everything I’d left behind made me wonder if I made the wrong choi-
“Ma’am, where would you like to go?” asked the person in charge of cab bookings, interrupting my train of thought from being tense about the future.
“Newstars County, please. Thank you.” I replied, realizing that there was no going back. Once it finally hit me that I was living in my dream, I turned around and looked at how my life was going to be from here on out, the tense energy slowly disappearing. Once I received my cab booking and details, I made my way towards the car park, my suitcase rolling across the concrete with a loud sound. I was greeted by the friendly cab driver, who could tell it was my first time here in the USA. We engaged in some friendly conversation before I put my headphones on and gazed out the window at the never-ending highways and rows and rows of trees, occasionally followed by a gas station or supermarket. My brain raced with thoughts, the main one being about life for me now. I was 18, in college, could drive myself around, and just couldn’t wait to do all these grown-up things everyone keeps talking about. On the other hand, I couldn’t shake the thought of everyone and things I left behind; my parents, friends, city, family and old life.However, I felt reassured thinking of my new life and how I could reinvent myself here.
“Thank you, it was a pleasant journey.” I smiled at the driver as I shut the door of the cab. Thank God the rain had stopped. It was like something straight out of a movie, the way I turned around to see my college and its huge campus. I squealed excitedly and ran towards the main entryway, receiving looks from all the students and passing teachers. A few weeks ago, we had received the details for the introduction to college and dorm and campus tour. Additionally, we had also received our dorm allotments, and since I didn’t know anyone attending here, I was placed with someone completely random. The paper said her name was Anika, and that she too was from India and the same age as I was. I followed the signboards and made my way towards the main office, wherein the receptionist greeted me with a warm smile and handed me some forms I had to fill out to be placed in the dorms. Once I was done, the receptionist looked them over twice before saying, “Undergraduate from India, I see. Quite impressive, it was very difficult to get in here as an undergraduate. Those who do usually experience huge cultural shocks, but with a little guidance, I’m sure you’ll be great, sweetie. Have a great day, here is your dorm application along with the details you’ll need.”
I quickly ran out from there, her words clinging to me as I attempted to find my dorm. It felt weird, doing all these things by myself for the first time. All my life, my mother, father and older sister guided me when I didn’t know where to go or what to do. This time, they won’t be around. We never realize the true value of something unless it's taken away from us. As I looked around campus, my brain was elsewhere, childhood memories coming back to me and showing me how much we grow and how much everything can change in only a few years. There it was, the door to my dorm room, 102 plastered on the front.
I held my breath as I opened the door, expecting there to be my roommate and maybe her parents or just her bags. Instead, I found somewhat the opposite. 7 people were in my new room, sitting all over the floor, with snacks everywhere and cups in their hands. They seemed to be playing some game, sitting quietly on the floor with their eyes closed. Suddenly, I said hello, which made most of them jump as they opened their eyes, looking confusedly at me. One girl got up, came over to me and introduced herself; “Hi, I’m Anika. You must be Maya.I’m sorry if we confused or startled you, a few of my friends from around the dorm had come over to have a little housewarming party.” She smiled at me apologetically, waiting for me to say something.
“Yes, hi, nice to meet you. No worries, the game looked quite interesting.” Anika seemed perfectly nice, but I didn't know much about her just yet. It was then that our lifelong friendship began. By being friends with each other, we each learned to step outside of our comfort zones and try to be different sometimes. I learnt how to let loose, to enjoy the way I never had before. She learnt to take up responsibility and that time for yourself is important. I thought college would be a nightmare, one which made me miss home. Being with my roommate and all her friends, playing with them that day, showed me that with the right people, everything gets a little bit easier.
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